There is nothing in golf quite like the feeling of launching a long drive and watching it sail right down the middle of the fairway. In addition to the fun of hitting long shots, there is also the very practical advantage that distance provides. Long drives mean shorter approaches, and more distance with your irons means you can bring in approach shots higher and land them softer on the greens.
With so much to get excited about, let’s take some time on this page to talk about how you can gain swing speed. And, perhaps more importantly, how you can gain swing speed while maintaining or improving your accuracy.
1. Start with Mechanics
You can only build a powerful swing on a foundation of solid mechanics. Too many golfers make an effort to simply swing harder, but they don’t have a plan in place for how they will make that happen. This results in attempting to overpower the ball, which rarely ends well in this game.
A good golf swing is all about sequencing. The right parts have to move in the right order to build up speed and unleash as much power as possible at the moment of impact. Ideally, your lower body will initiate the downswing, followed by the rotation of the torso, and then your arms come through the hitting area.
The clubhead is the last thing to arrive, which allows as much speed as possible to develop along the way. If any parts of this sequence are out of order, it won’t matter how much effort you are bringing to the swing, you’ll never reach your power potential.
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Use the Ground Effectively
Powerful golfers use the ground to their advantage. This is the only thing you have available to “push” off during your swing, so don’t waste that opportunity.
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During the backswing, your knees should be flexed and your lower body should maintain an athletic position.
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Then, as you swing down, you can push into the earth and use that force to drive your rotation forward.
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If you have ever wondered how professional golfers are able to hit the ball so far when it doesn’t even look like they are swinging very hard, the answer lies in how they use the ground to their advantage.
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Maintain Balance and Control
Speed without balance is largely useless. Sure, it will feel good to swing violently through impact, but if you aren’t balanced, that swing is going to be inconsistent and the ball is going to go all over the place.
Also, you might be surprised to find that your off-balance swing doesn’t actually deliver as much speed as you expect, even if it feels fast. A good rule of thumb is to swing as hard as you can without losing balance. Once you cross that threshold and you can no longer hold your finish, you’ve gone too far.
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Find the Center of the Face
Impacting the ball with the center of the clubface is the only way to impart maximum force on each shot. When impact is made toward the toe or heel of the club, some of that speed that you worked so hard to develop will effectively be lost as the club twists through impact.
This point is closely connected to balance. The more balanced you are during the swing, the better able you will be to control your club’s path and make sure the center of the face lands directly on the back of the ball time and time again.
2. Train Specifically for Speed
Being generally strong can help you deliver a powerful blow to the golf ball, but what’s more important is being able to rotate your body quickly for a short period of time. The golf swing is a sudden, athletic movement, as you only have a short distance from the top of your backswing to the moment of impact to muster as much speed as you can manage.
So, it’s usually the players who can turn fast and ramp up their clubhead rapidly that are able to launch shots way off into the distance. If you are going to train your body to be better at hitting long shots, focus first and foremost on the ability to rotate quickly.
3. Improve Your Mobility
It’s hard to rotate quickly without sufficient flexibility. If your body is stiff and tight, you’ll be slower than you want through the hitting area. So, in this way, generating more speed in your swing can be as simple as just making time to stretch out your body each day.
Focus this stretching on your core muscles and your hips, as well as your shoulders. Even a modest improvement in flexibility can translate directly to extra speed through the hitting area.
4. Use Your New Speed Wisely
If you work regularly on things that will help you swing faster, you should see more and more yards start to be tacked on to the end of your drives. That’s great, but make sure that you are using that speed intelligently on the course.
If you decide to just swing away with your driver on every hole to hit it as far as you can, the results may not be pretty.
Having more speed actually means you have more options off the tee. For example, you can go down to a fairway metal on a tight par four and still hit the ball far enough down there to have a reasonable approach into the green. Then, when you do find yourself on a wide-open par five, you’ll be able to reach for the driver and give it everything you’ve got.
Measure Your Steady Progress
As you gradually increase your swing speed, it is rewarding to see your numbers increase on a launch monitor. So why not use a launch monitor during every practice session to see your progress in real time?
Key Takeaways: How to Increase Swing Speed
To build speed effectively:
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Prioritize sequencing over effort
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Use ground force for power
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Maintain balance and control
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Focus on centered contact
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Train for rotational explosiveness
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Improve mobility and flexibility
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Use data to guide improvement
At Voice Caddie, we offer a range of quality launch monitor options for affordable prices, including our impressive Swing Caddie SC4 PRO. Explore these products now or contact us directly if you have any questions.
